PROJECT MANAGEMENTProtect Your Project FromEscalating DoubtsImportant projects can easily get caught in a downward spiral if key stakeholders startquestioning the project’s progress and withdrawing support. Savvy executives shouldbe aware of common issues that can cause stakeholder skepticism — and take action toavert the “cycle of doubt” before it takes hold.

BY KAREN A. BROWN, NANCY LEA HYER, AND RICHARD ETTENSON

YOUR PROJECT BEGAN with a bang. The launch created positive buzz, and you have a solid plan to deliver on the initiative’s value
proposition. Stakeholders who will drive the project forward are
squarely behind it. What could go wrong?

Plenty, as it turns out. But some leaders are unaware that great projects with strong starts can stumble and fall into what we call the “cycle
of doubt,” when support wanes or dissipates, delivery is imperiled, and
objectives go unmet. Others may recognize the potential for diminishing post-launch support among key contributors but are not attuned to
the telltale warning signs, nor do they have safeguards in place to protect a project’s reputation and momentum against a downward spiral.

Consider the U. S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) NextGensatellite-based air traffic system initiative, which has a broad network ofcontributors crucial to delivery, including the FAA, airports, airlines,and aircraft manufacturers. Project advocates emphasize the technolo-gy’s value in modernizing and improving the efficiency of the entireU.S. National Airspace System. Despite its compelling raison d’être(and the fact that the FAA has been on time and on budget installingadvanced towers for tracking aircraft1), the multibillion-dollar Next-Gen project has fallen into the cycle of doubt. If the FAA’s ground towersare to achieve their intended purpose, the U. S. airline industry must up-date the technology on its aircraft, at a cost of billions of dollars. 2 However, many airlines have been lessthan enthusiastic about proceeding because they lack faith in the FAA’s ability to ensure timely delivery ofrelated aspects of the project (such as training for controllers) that are necessary for its success. Why?According to an executive with the trade group Airlines for America, “There’s history here. … We have equippedour planes at great expense, and then it takes the FAA three years to train controllers and design processes where wecan benefit.” 3 Because of such doubts, most carriers have been slow to implement the new technology. In 2015,the FAA agreed to allow airlines to apply for extensions of the 2020 installation deadline to as late as 2025 forsome satellite navigation upgrades. 4 Meanwhile, in 2016, a U.S. inspector general’s report indicated that thecost of NextGen could double or triple by the time the system is fully installed, 5 adding to stakeholders’ concerns.THE LEADINGQUESTIONHow canexecutivesprevent theirprojects fromlosing mo-mentum dueto stakeholderdoubts?

FINDINGS

; If skeptical stakeholders withdraw
support, projects
can spiral downward in a cycle of
doubt.

; Be aware of factors
that trigger stakeholder doubts, such
as communication
missteps.

; There are steps
executives can take
to avert or reverse a
cycle of doubt.